LOCAL & GENERAL.

Wairarapa Daily Times, 23 May 1928, Page 4

LOCAL & GENERAL.

To-morrow being Empire Day a liberal display of bunting is desired. In a gruelling light of fifteen rounds for the lightweight championship, reports a cable from Kew York, Sammy Mandell gained the decision on pioints, over Jimmy McLarnin. Mr R. Lean, manager of the Melbourne Stadium, who is a through passenger by the Aorangi, states that the opinion right throughout the United States was that Tom Hecney would beat Gene Tunncy in the match for the world’s boxing championship.

There was a large attendance last night in the Lecture Room of the Alasterton Municipal Buildings to hear an address by Dr. P. E. Cook. The lecture, the first of a series on first aid, was given under the auspices of the St. John Ambulance Brigade. All tiersons interested arc invited to attend the meetings.

With smiles suffusing his face, a man stepped sprightly into the Wanganui Magistrate’s Court on Alonday. Ho asked for a prohibition order against himself. “You're quite agreeable to this?” queried the presiding justices. “Oh, yes. Certainly,” was the rejoinder. Broader smiles, to which those in tho Courthouse were not slow in responding, and he left the hall of justice with a still more sprightly air. —Chronicle.

The fortnighty meeting of the Claims Board of the Wairarapa Patriotic Association was attended yesterday by Alessrs E. E. Burridge and G. C. Summerell. An apology for absence was received from Mr D. K. Logan. Seventeen cases occupied the board’s attention, a number of partially disabled soldiers being awarded grants on account of inability to work owing to war injury. A number of overdue loans were reviewed, and in some eases extension of time was granted, while actions to recover was decided upon in other cases. An application for a temporary loan was declined as unsatisfactory.

The Press Were asked to suppress the name of an elderly Pahiatua man who appeared Before Air Platts, S.AL, in the Alagistrate’s Court at Hamilton yesterday, charged with attempting to leave his wife unsupported, intending to leave New Zealand. The arrest was made on a warrant from Pahiatua. Counsel for the accused said he was a Justice of the Peace of considerable wealth and was separated from his wife. Accused paid her £4 10s per week and an unmarried daughter £2. He had remitted sums regularly. Counsel thought the facts would convince the Bench that the suspicions were groundless. The Alagistrate granted a remand to Pahiatua. 9

The Provincial Farmers’ Union .at Hamilton passed resolutions yesterday that no lease of Crown, privately-own-ed or native-owned land be permitted unless it contains a clause allowing compensation for improvements or renewal at rent assessed on the value at the date of the original lease, the rent to be settled by a competent court; that a stock food Act be passed to obviate the possibility of adulteration of stock foods; and that the Government be urged to further investigate mammitis and vaginitis in cows. Resolutions were also passed supporting the control, of dairy produce and meat exports by boards elected by the producers, asking for the elimination of trade and Government representatives from control boards, and also for a pig subsidy in the form of a guarantee of the minimum price for pork exported to Britain.

There is a belief in financial circles that the bank overdraft rate, which was raised on May 9 last year' from 61 per cent, to 7 per cent., will be reduced very shortly.

With the idea of discovering whether the public at large was honest or not a Sydney paper “lost” a number of articles, each bearing some indication of the owner’s identity. Some of the articles were not worth much, others were valuable, and some contained money. The greater proportion of them were returned.

A London cable states that the Atlienic has been purchased by Air A. Jahre, chairman of a whaling company in Norway, and will be converted into a whaler for use in south polar seas. Her transformation will occupy three months, at a cost of £IOO,OOO. She will start her now career at the earliest, with a crew of two hundred. The Athenic, a vessel of 12,234 gross tonnage, of tho Shaw, Savill and Albion Co., is a particularly well-known ship in New Zealand waters, having been engaged in the Home trade for very many years.

Mr John Saxon Barton, S.M., chairman of the Royal Commission which is sitting in Auckland in order to find out whether buses or trams shall prevail, is, as has been said, a man who might have made a fortune as a calculating boy. The other day counsel poured forth a mass of figures mixed with technicalities, subsequently mentioning that he did not know tho total. The S.M. quietly remarked, “I do,” and immediately gave the answer. MiBarton is not exuberantly self-adver-tising. He has a line and a half in “Who’s Who,” mentioning merely that he was an .S.M. at Wanganui. It is considered novel that his daughter is his secretary in the present investigations and that she is able accurately to transcribe her father’s shorthand notes.—Star.

“In view of the recent remarks by All- Justice AlacGregor regarding the increase in crime, it is interesting to note the combative steps which arc being taken in England,” writes Air J. Wade, of Birkenhead, to the Auckland “Star.” He points out that the Norwich police force runs a club for the poorer classes of that city. There is a social hall, gymnasium and canteen. The formation of the club has had the result of reducing crime. The police take it in turns to supervise when off duty, and the result has been the establishment of a friendship which has been reciprocated. . Tho Norwich police have got the boys to learn that the police are not a natural enemy, and that they arc ready at all times to Help young men, even if the latter have gone wrong. “If something of this ideal were set afoot in Auckland it would piobably have the same good results, ” states Air Wade.

An unusual story, which shows how the curiosity of a Maori'boy was responsible for his arrest, is related from Maipawa. On a recent evening, about 11 p.m., an operator in the Waipawa telephone exchange noticed something strange on Mr John Winlove’s - store line. .Failing to get any response to his calls, he communicated with the police. A constable proceeded to the shop and suspicions were aroused when he found a pair of boots and socks outside a window. The owner of the store was communicated with, and after a search, the constable and Air Winlove found the crouching figure of a Alaori boy behind the shop door. Investigation revealed tho fact that the wouldbe burglar had gathered some loot, but instead of getting away he became fascinated with the telephone. This fascination led to his tinkering with the instrument, and it was this tinkering which resulted in the operator telephoning the police.

An amazing example of the way in which municipalities (allowing that the State sometimes takes a share) enrich themselves at the expense of certain classes, is afforded by the annual .report of the Hasting’s borough inspector’s department (says the Hawke’s Bay Herald). The report shows that the council required licences from 34 different classes of people before they would permit them to carry on certain classes of business within the borough, and that from'the granting of those licenses was derived the sum of £4964 fpr a population of 14,000,-many of whom pay harbour rates, hospital rates, borough rates, county rates, stamp duty, amusement ax, radio fees, income tax, fire board levies ; and a host of other charges, to say nothing of Customs tariff and excise duties. The total number of permits and licenses issued was 3503, or nearly ten a day.

Poems to let. Black coney seal coat for sale, cheap. Position as companion-help wanted. Alessrs Robinson and Sons, Nurserymen and Florists, are making, a special display of trees and plants at Alessrs J. Graham and Co., during this week. The W.F.C.A. Ltd. are advertising 2 special Half Price lines in the Showroom, comprising sample vests and velour coats. Both are well worthy of attention.

“The Aladncss of Alonty, ” by Robert Keable, the author of “Simon Called Peter,” is a story of a master of a Public School, the current of whose life is completely changed by contact with a book, a woman, and a philosopher. Price 0/-. Obtainable at AlcLcod and Young’s, Queen St., Alasterton.

“Through shadowed Leagues of Slumbering Sound,” Where flickering sunlight fades and gleams, In gaunt, lone dignity profound, The gray trees whisper in their dreams. There sun-bronzed settlers, young and old, ' ’Mid solitude their lives endure; And bless the ease for eough or cold They find in Woods’ Great Peppermint Cure. „ 7

The gas pressure in Alasterton will be low at about one o’clock to-morrow (Thursday) afternoon during the connecting of the new S-inch main with the gas-holder.

One of Alasterton’s old landmarks —tire blacksmith shop on the corner of Queen Street and Worksop Road, occupied for many years past by Mill. Nee —is now being demolished.